Reflector.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

F. MULLER. REFLECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18,1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

l Vl'fnesses:

PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

P. MULLER.-

REFLECTOR.

urmoumn FILED MAR.18,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wz'fnesses: fzwenfair JW M f1 ttorngy.

PATBNTED JAN. 1, 1907.

F. MULLER.

REFLECTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR..1B,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

vVVz'in asses: [nvenlmr j] tromggy.

- To all whom it may concern:

oil TED s'rArns FRIEDERIGH MllLLER, F

PATENT OFFICE.

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

REFLECTOR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1, 1907.

Application filed larch is, 1904. Serial s. 198.359.

Be it known that I, Fnrnnnaicn MI'iLLER, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reflectors, of which the following is a specification, reference behad therein to the accompanying draw- 'mgs This invention relates to an improvement in that class of mirrors or reflectors which are unsymmetrical, and means for moving the same for producing successive images of the same object in different characters of'distortion. The reflecting surface or surfaces employed for the purpose are preferably curved in one direction, and the means by which the direction of curvature in res ect of the object to be reflected or some fixe point is changed maybeeither a .circularl wmoving frame or support, or, when it is formedupon aflexible late capable of taking a highly-polished sur ace, by successively bending the plate upon which it is formed alternately difl'erent directions.

' ing the characters of the distorted images'of The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the annexed drawings, inwhich- Figure 1"is a perspective-v ew of-the preferred embodiment of the improvement, and

Figs. 3, 4., and 5 Fig.2 a plan of the. same. L are front views of the ap aratus 1n successive vertical, inclined, an horizontal tions of its single rectangular-mirror, in eat- ,an observer thereby rod'uced. Figa. 6, 7.,

I arotary disk within a frame closed upon the i inspect on' openmgs t and 8 are-respective plan view representing another embodiment of the improvement with a plurality of cylin;

dricallycurved reflecting-surfaces carried by front side, but havinglldiametrically opposite an edge, front, and

images of the observer may be seen similar to those of Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of another modification of the present improvement. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are views similar to Figs. 6, 7, and 8, representing still another embodiment of the pres exit invention, comprising a flexible plate affording the reflecting-surface with means for alternately bending the same in directions at right angles one to the other.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the

standard a of the apparatus therein repre-- sented is provided with the base I) and is bifurcated at its upper end to embrace the caswhich the driving-shaft carries a small cogwheeld, meshing with a. larger cog-wheel e, fixed upon a shaft f, journaled in the upper ends of the spaced members of the standard a' and carrying at the end adjacent the cogwheel' e a rigid frame 9, having the rectan'gular mirror It with convex cylindrically curved reflecting-face. i

The particular construction of clockwork employed is evidently not material to the resent invention, but that of the ordinary nickel clock at present in extensive use is suitable for the purpose, the escapement being preferably replaced by a continuouslymoving regulator, as arotary fan,.-and the hour-hand spindle carrying the cog-wheel d in lieu of the hourdiand.

Instead of the clock-actuating mechanism the shaft f may be rotated from abelt from a suitable motor led over the grooved pulley e upon said shaft, inwhich case the cogwheels d and 0 could be'dispensed with,

As will beevident by reference to Figs. 3, i

4, and 5, the slow rotation of the mirror It will cause the axis of curvature of its reflectingface to constantly changeits relation to the observer, and hencetoproduce a series of constantly-varying distorted ima es of such observer, those produced when t e axis'of curvature of the mirror is parallel with or transverse to the len hot the reflected object being symmetries while those produced in the intermediate positions are more or less unsymmetrical, varying with the successive positions of the mirror. As the direction of greatest. distortion is horizontal when the f axis of curvature of the mirror isivertical, as-

in Fig. 3, the mirror when in such filtifln represents the observer in practically natdistorted ural height,-but in eatl -reduced-breadth. re e 5 gram theverticalin 7o ing 0 of a suitable clockwork mechanism, of

eaaosa its continued rotation and until it reaches a I site end portions of the shaft 8, having an achorizontal position, the observer is represented therein as deformed in varying degrees and in different aspects until his symmetry is regained in the horizontal position of the mirror when his breadth is represented upon a I natural scale, while his height is greatly reduced or foreshortened, as indicated in Fig. 5. From this point to the completion of a semiro tation the series of ima es above described is substantially reproduced, but in reverse order, and each succeeding semirotation obviously produces a like series of images of the observer or other object in the range of the reflecting-face.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the supporting-shaft f is disposed in such relation to the mirror k that the axis of curvature of the mirror intersects its axis of rotation, whereby the succession of ima es of the object is produced of such gradual development as to appear like a single image directly in front of the center of the mirror, which varies constantly in degree and charac- 'ter of distortion.

In the apparatus represented in Figs. 6, 7,

and 8 the frame is shown as formed of two spaced circular platesi and j, rigidly connected together near their rims by the shouldered bolts la. Intermediate the frame-plates is a rotary disk Z, mounted upon a supportingshaft m, journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame-plates, through one of which plates one end projects and carries a crank n for turning the shaft and the disk Z. This rotary'disk is provided with a series of reflecting-sections composedof curved reflecting-faces which may be formed directly upon its front face, but preferably has an annular series of; arched plates 0, of metal or glass, suitably. prepared, to affordthe requisite refleeting-faces. The axes of curvature of all of the eight reflecting-sections are parallel, so that when the disk tis revolved by turning the crank 11, the successive sections 0 pass behind the apertures 72 in the front frame-plate with/ the same relative inclinations of their axes of curvature as and produce similar distorted images of the observer to those represented in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 before described. It is thus evidently immaterial to the principle; of operation of the present imgrovement whether a simple reflecting memer be rotated upon an axis at substantially thecenter of its area or whether a compound reflecting member be employed, having an annularseries of sections arranged in such manner. that the direction of curvature of the lar path.

In the modification represented Fig. 9 the frame portion comprises a base g with standards 1', in which are journaled the oppo- I tuating-crank t and carrying a drum u, having a series of convexly-arched reflecting-sections 12 with their direction of curvature disposed in varying relations with the axis of the shaft 8, whereby the rotation of the shaft causes the production of a series of diverselydistorted images of the object lying successively in the ranges of the several reflectingsections, as in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.

in the form of .the improvement illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, the frame of the machine is constructed with the base 2, having pedestals 3, in which are mounted the opposite ends of a rotary shaft 4, carrying the camcylinders 5 with corresponding right and left grooves 6, entered by roller-studs 7, carried by the sliding blocks 8, fitted by spline-andgroove connections to thehorizontal supporting-bar 9, sustained by one of the pedestals 3. Each of the blocks 8 is provided upon opposite sides ofthe supporting-bar with a pair of ears 10, disposed in a line transversely of those of the other block, and such ears are connected by means of. two pairs of links 1 1 with similar ears 12, correspondingly disposed upon the rear face and near the edges of a thin rectangular plate 13 of a flexible material capable of taking a high polish upon its front face which serves as a mirror. When the shaft 4 isslowly rotated by means of a belt applied to its pulley-wheel 14- fijom a suitable actuatin -driver or by the operators turnin the crani handle 15 upon such pulley-whee the simultaneous rotation of the camcylinder s 5 causes a relative to-and-fro reciprocation of the blocks 8 upon their supportin -bar 9, and thereby produces the alternate ending of the reflecting-plate 13 in theplanes of the links 1'1, as indicated in Fig. 12, wherein one extreme position of the plate 13 is shown in full lines and the other of such position is indicated in dotted lines. It is evident that the mechanism employed in this embodifiector movab y mounted and adapted to produce a symmetrical image of an object within its range upon differentscales in different directions, regardless of thespecific charactenof such reflector, which may be in the form of a simple mirror with cylin drically-curved operative face, as represented in Figs. 1 to'5, inclusive, of theaccompanying drawings, or may be a single flexible arched or curved in different directions in respect of their direction of motion, as represented in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9.

It is further evident that the specific character of the motion communicated to said reflector and the kind of mechanism employed for such purpose are not material parts of the present improvement in its roader aspect, the essential characteristic of such mechanism being the movement of the reflector in such manner as to successively .preselineither continuously, as herein represented, 0r intermittingly, the operative portion of the same in different relations to the object to be reflected, so as to cause the production of a series of distorted images of the object, certain of which are symmetrical and reproduce the object upon a natural scale in one direction, but each differing from the adjacent imagesin the character ofits distorted representation thereof.

While the present improvement may be, used as a toy' for mere amusemtnt of the observers, it is designed particularly for in stallation in show-windows of stores and in other laces of exhibition to arrest the attt ntion 0 passers-by, and in some cases its use may be extended to advertisement of medical remedies, in connection with which it may: be desired to illustrate, in exaggerated degree, the physical condition of the patient before and after using.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. The combination with a mirror or reflector constructed and adapted to present to the object to be reflected an operative portion of simple-curvature, of automaticallyacting means for supporting and moving said mirror or reflector in progressively-varying angular relation to the direction of curvature of said operative portion to the object whereby a series of images of progressively-varying degree of distortion is produced.

2. The combination with a mirror or refiector adapted to expose to an object in'a given position relative thereto a reflectingsurface of single curvature, of means for movably supporting said mirror or reflector and for presenting to said object said reflecting-surface in a succession of div erse' angular relations, whereby a series of diversely-foreshortened symmetrical images of said object is roduced.

3. The com ination with a mirror or reflector provided with an operative ortion adapted toproducc a symmetrical y-fore- .jshortened image of'an object disposed in a given position relative thereto, of means for supporting and communicating a circular movement to said mirror or reflector to rogressively change the angular relation 0 its operative portion to said object, and thereby produce a series of images of said object certain of which are symmetrically foreshortened in ditferent directions and the intermediate images are unsymmetrically distorted.

4. The combination with a rigid mirror or reflector having an arched or cylindricallycurved reflecting-face, of means for movably supporting-the same and imparting thereto a circular movement to vary the direction of its curvature in respect of an object disposed in front of its reflecting-face.

- 5. The combination w'ithprrigid mirror or reflector having a cylindrically-curved refleeting-face, of means for movably support ing the same and imparting thereto a rotary motion.

6. The combination with a rigid mirror or reflector having a cylindrically-curved re.- flecting-face, of a su porting-shaft for said mirror or reflector w o se axis of motion is intersected by the axis of curvature of said reflecting-face, and means for imparting to said mirror or reflector rotary motion.

7. The combination with a standard and a shaft mounted thereon and provided with means for rotating it, of a cylindricallycurved'mirror or reflector mounted upon said shaft with its axis of curvature disposed transversely of said shaft, and wholly exosed for reflection of an object arranged in flout of the same in line with said shaft.

' 8. The combination with a standard and a shaft mountedthereon and provided with means for rotating it, of a cylindricallycurved convex mirror or reflector mounted upon said shaft with its axis of curvature disposed transversely of said shaft, and wholly exposed for reflection of an object ar ranged in front of the same in line with said shaft. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses FRIEDERICH MULLER. 

